I am yours for 2 coppers

I’ve just found a wonderful 1973 study on the psychoanalysis of graffiti that discusses how unconscious desires might be expressed through public scrawlings.

It has a completely charming table that compares graffiti from A.D. 79 Pompeii with 1960’s Los Angeles to demonstrate the similarity of themes across the centuries.

The author concludes that “aggressive-destructive and incorporative wishes are similarly satisfied by the wall writer at the expense of the wall owner” although overtly sexual images should be considered as definitely expressing sexual themes.

In 1973, when I was a junior in high school, my Latin teacher read a similar article to our class. For several weeks, we did a methodical study of the hallways and desks of the school, collecting graffiti, and compared the best ones to their Roman ancestors. We got the same themes over and over.

I don’t remember much Latin, but COGITO ERGO DOLEO will be with me forever.